Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 Durability Test Ends Terribly

There are quite a few new gaming phones that have hit the market in the first three or so months of the year, each with its own special gimmick that goes beyond raw power. The latest to join that fray is Lenovo with its second Legion Phone "Duel" device. It is also admittedly one of the more interesting to arrive this year both in terms of design and specs. Unfortunately, it might also be one of the most disappointing when it comes to withstanding the normal wear and tear that gamers put their devices through.

The Legion Phone Duel 2 takes the center-oriented camera bump to the next level, almost literally. Not only does it make for a distinct shape, it also has structural implications underneath. The phone separates two chunks of battery and, just like its predecessor, they can be recharged from two USB-C ports at the same time.

JerryRigEverything's usual durability test starts normally enough, with the phone passing the usual scratch tests. The fans, particularly the exposed intake fan, will be a durability concern despite Lenovo's dust and water resistance assurances. As with many AMOLED screens, the phone doesn't recover from the burn test even if it does survive.

It's in the bend test that things head south almost instantly. With almost very little force, the phone snapped into two along the plastic antenna lines near the odd camera bump. A little bit more force on the other end yielded a third part.

YouTuber Zack Nelson cautions that the result of that bend test doesn't necessarily mean that the phone is weak, just that it is comparatively weaker than most phones in the market. It does share that slot this year with the new ASUS ROG Phone 2, so it's not exactly alone. A simple case could help prevent such disasters but it's still disappointing to know that Lenovo might have failed to take that structural weakness when designing the Legion Phone Duel 2.